The Talent Show
by queenybee
Summary: Set after Earth's destruction, Lisa participates in a Talent Show.


The Talent Show

Cmdr. Claudia Grant finished reading her report to Admiral Gloval.

"What's the recommendation, then Commander," said Gloval.

"Well sir, I would suggest trying to focus the citizens of Macross on something new, you saw how they rallied after the Miss Macross contest, but that has been over a year ago. While they still love Miss Lynn Minmei, she's not enough to keep their minds occupied during the time that they need to stay on the ship during the Reconstruction period.

It's been six months since Dolza's Rain and the Earth in no way was able to support life. The desolate landscape left behind has made it impossible to disembark the citizens of the ship until the Earth's radiation levels have decreased and the town has been reconstructed outside the surrounding areas of the SDF-1. Breetai and Exedore had been excellent resources in helping Dr. Lang and his team use Robotech technology to bring down the radiation levels in the affected areas and Gloval was hopeful that within 3 months he would be able to allow the people of the ship to leave and start rebuilding their lives on Earth.

"Hmm." pondered Gloval, taking a puff from his pipe. His gaze fell on the figure of Captain Lisa Hayes who was positioned at her station and humming a tune. It wasn't a tune he was familiar with and wondered if he could use this opportunity to get Lisa to loosen up a bit.

With his gaze still on Lisa, Gloval answered Claudia's question. "Claudia, do you have any suggestions, I think that the citizens of Macross are not the only ones who need a break." Global looked at Claudia and nodded towards Lisa's direction.

Claudia not one to miss the innuendo, looked towards Lisa and then looked back at Gloval. "I have the perfect idea sir."

The next day at the end of Gloval's senior staff meeting, Gloval stood up and addressed the Colonel's, Major's and Captains that were seated around the table. "The situation on the ship is getting worse, the people are getting restless and anxious to get off the ship. Lynn Kyle's anti-war protests and rallies are not helping to endure the military to the people despite all we do for them. It was suggested and I have talked to and received approval from the the mayor of Macross Tommy Luan that we refocus the people's attentions off the reconstruction efforts to something a bit more interesting and fun." Gloval continued, "We think having a monthly talent show or variety show for the next three months will do the trick and I want one or two of the acts to come from the RDF. It's time that we show the people of Macross and refugees that our forces are people too and citizens of this Earth as well."

Colonel Maistroff hrmphed, "Admiral, this is nonsense, our forces are too busy dealing with the rebel Zentraedi, transporting of refugees and reconstruction efforts to also be pandering to the people who's lives we saved by housing them on this ship. It's ridiculous to use our resources for this much less force participation in something like this."

"Be that as it may Colonel, I am making this an order," said the Admiral, "Not only do I think that it will be good for the people of Macross but good for our people as well. Who knows this show of culture may also convince some of the the rebel Zentraedi to give up and allow them to integrate into our society. The first show is scheduled to air in two weeks"

Colonel Emerson objected, "Impossible, how do you expect us to find this talent in the forces with only two weeks. We cannot have just anybody represent the RDF in this and many of our troops right now are out on various missions. We won't find someone in time."

"That is where you are wrong," Gloval replied, "I happen to know a very talented person right in this room who not only epitomizes the military and what we stand for but also a great singer."

A babble of voices and questions arose as the other senior officers looked at one another wondering who this paragon could be. No one except Claudia noticed Lisa's utter silence after Gloval's last statement.

"Who? Who is it Gloval that you are thinking of," said Maistroff.

Gloval smiled, "Why none other than Capt. Elizabeth Hayes, of course."

Everyone looked at Lisa while Gloval continued. "You may not know this, but I've know the captain since she was young child and I also know that prior to her admittance into the Military Academy, Lisa was accepted to Julliard for her singing and piano skills. I think that she would be an excellent first choice for this mission." Gloval looked at Lisa with those last words, and she understood from the way his hooded eyes looked at her, that her participation in this was not a suggestion but an order.

Lisa struggled a bit internally with herself on the matter. Admiral Gloval has been a mentor to her and father figure since she became the First Officer of the SDF-1. His faith and trust in her as well as her loyalty to him made it difficult for her to argue against this unspoken order, but she had to try. "Admiral, sir, given my position and current work load, I don't think it's possible for me to prepare something in time this and that someone else should be chosen for the initial show. Maybe later when things are more settled down..."

Gloval glared at Lisa, stopping her from finishing her sentence. "Capt Hayes, I have thought long about this and I feel that you are the best to represent us at this initial show. This will also give us time to find additional talent for the next show and allow for Lt. Porter to more fully take over the air controller duties you have maintained. That being said, meeting adjourned."

Lisa couldn't believe what just happened to her and just looked at Claudia after everyone left.

"What was that all about?" she asked Claudia, "I can't believe that Gloval would think that a performance would take precedence over all the work that needs to be done."

"Lisa," said Claudia, putting an arm around her friend, "Admiral Gloval's under a lot of pressure right, not only for the people on this ship, but from the UEG and the RDF colonels. He needs your support right now and it's just one show... one song.."

"Claudia it's been almost 10 years since I have sang on a stage or in front of anyone else and the Admiral expects me to be ready in two weeks? Do you know all the things that I will need to do to get ready in order not to embarrass myself? I need a song, musicians, voice coach, rehearsal time.. how am I going to accomplish all that."

Claudia laughed, "If you have already come up with a list of things you need to do this, then you were the right choice for this. Lisa, you loved singing and I think it's about time you share it with the rest of the world. C'mon I'll help you re-arrange your schedule and help you with anything that you need."

That night, Lisa went through her notebooks and song books looking for some inspiration in the material she had. There was speculation by the Bridge Bunnies about the type of song Lisa would sing after they had heard Admiral Gloval's announcement of the talent show but Lisa knew that singing a love song with her current state of unrequited love for Rick Hunter would be a disaster and therefore looked for something else she could sing.

After two hours of searching, Lisa found a song that she thought that she could be ready with in two weeks. It was an original composition done when she was still in the academy, but thought with a few tweaks she thought that she could pull it off. Earlier in the day she had been contacted by the organizer of the show and made arrangements to have time with the house musicians that would be playing with the talent in the show, scheduled stage time for practicing as well as scheduled the dress rehearsal for the day of the show. Katie was also able to put Lisa in touch with a voice coach who could help her get ready as well.

The next day all of Macross City and the base was buzzing about the news of the talent show. Auditions were being held in they city over the next two days to fill the spots for the three hour long show. Dancers, singers, rappers and comedians all came out to try out for the initial show. While only a select few were chosen to display their talent at the initial show, others were booked for future airings. Many of the tryouts for singers were girls who wanted to be the next Lynn Minmei.

While Lisa didn't have to tryout as her spot was basically given to her as the RDF representative, it was also unknown outside of the senior staff who the RDF representative was going to be. Per Gloval's orders Lisa's involvement with the show was to be a surprise to the citizens and soldiers on base. Speculation ran rampant among the troops on who had enough talent to participate in the show.

Lisa had just started her air control shift when a beep notified her that she had an incoming transmission. She clicked on her screen and her heart skipped a beat when she saw Rick on her screen. Lisa opened the communication link, "Skull Leader, this is Delta 1, come in."

"Hey Lisa," said Rick, "what's this I hear about an RDF representative in some talent show, any ideas who it is?"

"Capt. Hunter, may I remind you that the TacNet is only supposed to be used for official communication?" Lisa said, grinning at Rick.

Rick laughed and said, "Always following the rulebook huh, sourpuss? Just trying to get some inside knowledge on this thing, there's some bets being made on who the poor bloke that got picked for this thing."

Lisa laughed and said, "Well sorry, I don't have a clue who it is and even if I did, I don't think I would tell you. Now why don't we get you and your squad up in the air, shall we. Delta 1 over."

Rick requested takeoff instructions and soon led the Skull Squadron into the air for their 10 hour patrol.

Over the past 6 months, Rick and Lisa had gotten closer since he had saved her from the destruction at Alaska Base. While they were both interested in getting to know the other one better, neither one knew how to approach the other about moving forward. Coupled with the fact that after Dolza's Rain, there hadn't been much time to fraternize outside of work but the two both managed to look at the others' schedule to see when a break or a lunch could be shared and many times managed to find each other to talk over a quick cup of coffee or the occasional lunch at the base mess hall.

After signing off with Rick, she turned the controls over to Sammy as she needed to get started on her new mission. Lisa sighed as the new schedule she put together with Claudia meant that her and Rick's schedule was not going to coincide until after the show. The next couple of weeks were going to be busy.

Over the next couple of days Lisa's schedule had her running between the base and the city in the ship. Her base shift started at 6am on most days with her ending at 11am where she would then change and then go into the city for the next couple of hours to work with the voice coach and house musicians on her song. She would then return to base to work a few more hours on paperwork and anything else that needed her attention. The voice coach, a man in his early 30's named Mr. Isaac Thomas, was thrilled to find that his new student had an excellent voice and strong music fundamentals down even after a 10 year hiatus. Issac was a good looking man, tall with dark brown hair and brown eyes and a kind face.

"You know, if you ever wanted to give up the military, you could have a very nice career as a singer," he joked on more than one occasion. "Your voice and range, would definitely give Miss Macross a run for her money," he said seriously to Lisa.

"That maybe true, but her musical styling is not quite my cup of tea and I don't think I would appeal to the same crowd that she does." said Lisa, "I don't have that flamboyancy that draws people to notice me."

"That may be true, Lisa, but not everyone is a fan of her music." said Issac, "there are quite a few people on the ship that would appreciate the type of music that you would bring."

"Let me just get through the next week and a half, "said Lisa, "As much as I've enjoyed the last couple of days, I don't know if I would want to have to do this everyday."

Lisa stayed busy over the next couple of days and came back each night exhausted and fell into bed in a dreamless sleep. She did wonder how Rick was doing and missed seeing him around the base.

As for Rick, he didn't quite notice that Lisa wasn't around as much until he started to realize that he never saw her anymore and that no one seemed to know where she was. He knew that she was working as he still received orders signed in her name, but didn't see her on the TacNet or mess hall at anytime. Even Claudia and the Trio were a bit vague about Lisa's change in schedule and found it odd that her schedule was also blocked from being viewed other than those that had a higher clearance than him.

Rick shared his concern over Lisa's disappearing act with Max who said, "I wouldn't worry too much about it, she's probably on a mission or something. I'm sure she will be back soon."

Rick thought to himself, I hope she's not on a mission somewhere, she normally tells me when she's been reassigned even if it's for a short period. He also was upset that if she was reassigned that he wasn't assigned with her as trouble always seem to follow her when given these new assignments. He thought back to the rescues on Mars Base Sara, the escape from the Zentraedi ship and the last rescue at Alaska Base. He didn't like not knowing where Lisa was and it made him uneasy not seeing or talking to her on a daily basis. Rick had left a few messages for Lisa at her quarters but never seem to be around when she returned the calls. He wondered how long it was going to be until he saw her again and while he didn't want to admit it, he missed Lisa.

One day after coming back from a patrol shift, he noticed Lisa hurrying down the opposite hall in civilian clothing. Hoping to have a quick chat with her, he called out her name. "Lisa, hey Lisa, stop."

Instead of stopping, it seemed that Lisa started running faster towards the exit that led them out to the city. Rick noticing that instead of slowing down, Lisa seemed to have sped up and was almost out the door. Rick ran after her, yelling at her to stop, but she didn't and ran out the exit door. When Rick got to the exit, he could see Lisa in a military jeep taking the tracks down to the city. Annoyed and wondering why Lisa didn't stop, he decided to follow his friend and see where she was headed. He had to wait a bit for another jeep to come by to take him to the city. Before they reached the drop off point to enter the city, Rick could see Lisa exiting the jeep and heading down towards one sector of the city. It wasn't the usual shopping district that she frequented and it wasn't an area he had been in much either. Many of the buildings were small multilevel buildings used more by self employed professionals.

As Rick reached the area he had last seen Lisa in, he realized that the had no idea which of these buildings she could have entered. He noticed a small cafe at the corner that gave him a good view of the majority of the buildings as well as the closest military stop. Rick decided to wait there instead of continuing to search for Lisa. He had just finished a second cup of coffee when he saw Lisa coming out of a building in the company of a man. Rick couldn't hear the conversation but could see Lisa laughing in animated conversation with the man and he noticed when she took the arm he offered to her. He didn't know why, but he felt a little annoyed and wondered who the man was. He knew Lisa didn't have many friends on the ship and wondered when this development came about.

Lisa and Isaac didn't notice much as they came out of the building after their latest session.

"Thanks, Isaac for helping me through those high notes in the song" said Lisa. "and you really don't have to walk me back to the stop."

"Ah it's not a problem, it's on my way and I am sure Rebecca would hate to know that I let you walk alone."

"Well I appreciate it, she's very lucky to have a husband like you." said Lisa as she took Isaac's arm.

They continued their conversation about Isaac's pending fatherhood as well as discussed the other acts that were going to be in the show.

Engrossed in their conversation, they didn't even see Rick approach with an angry face.

"Lisa!" exclaimed Rick.

"Rick," stammered Lisa. "What are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing," he retorted. He sized the man up next to Lisa and wondered what Lisa was doing with a dweep like this. He took a step forward and offered his hand to Isaac. "Rick Hunter, nice to meet you."

Isaac took the hand extended to him and said, "Isaac Thomas, a pleasure to meet you." As they shook hands, Rick tightened his grip on the hand extended to him and he squeezed a little harder than necessary.

Lisa noticing and not quite understanding why Rick was here and acting the way he was, tightened her grip on Isaac's arm. Rick noticing that Lisa seem to have moved a bit closer to Isaac, released Isaac's hand.

"Umm, so what are you doing here Capt." said Lisa to Rick.

Rick not having any real explanation for his appearance made a vague gesture to the coffee shop and said, "I was having a cup of coffee over there and came over when I saw you. So what are you doing down here and how do you know Isaac."

Isaac noticing the tension between Rick and Lisa stepped in. Knowing that her participation in the upcoming talent show was a secret, said to Rick, "I was just helping Capt. Hayes understand some technical nuances in some communication waves she's been studying."

Lisa looked at Issac and almost couldn't help a small nervous laugh escape her over Isaac's incredulous lie. "Yes, you have been most helpful with the issue and I will let Admiral Gloval know about it. Good bye now."

Lisa let go of Issac's arm and waved good-bye to him. He looked at her and Rick and silently asked her if she was going to be ok with him. She gave him a nod and he turned to Rick and made his goodbyes.

Rick waited til Isaac was gone and confronted Lisa. "Well I know that was a pack of lies, as I believe that I am looking at one of the military's top notch communication's officer and I doubt that you would need a civilian's help with any reading you've been doing. Is he why you haven't been around? I thought we were friends Lisa, I wouldn't expect you to drop me just like that if you had met someone. At least you could have told me that you met somebody instead of letting me worry about where you have been and whether or not Gloval sent you away on some crazy mission."

"Rick, I.."started Lisa.

"Save it, I don't want to hear it." said Rick as he walked back to the military stop.

Lisa followed and tried to explain that it wasn't at all what he was thinking but Rick continued to give her the cold shoulder until she gave up. "Fine, Rick Hunter, if you won't give me a chance to explain or say anything, I won't!" The ride back to the base was incredibly quiet after that.

Over the next few days both Lisa and Rick fumed about what had happened. Rick angry with himself because he didn't know why the thought of Lisa with another man bugged him so much and he found himself constantly imagining Lisa and Isaac together, laughing, kissing, touching one another. He felt guilty for not being happy for his friend finding someone to love, but selfishly didn't want to share her with anyone else. It didn't make sense to him at all why he felt the way that he did and it showed in his attitude on base the next few days.

Lisa, while mad about Rick's unreasonableness to listen to her, had other things to occupy her mind and therefore decided to put it out of her mind until after the performance.

It was a few days to the day of the talent show and the whole city and base were talking excitedly about the show. No one still had any clue who the RDF representative was for the show and rumors abounded about who it could be. Those were not the only rumors that circulated the days prior to the show. Apparently others on base had seen Lisa and Issac a couple of times in the city and gossip attributed her new love interest as the cause of Capt. Hunter's surly mood.

"Miriya told me that Lisa and her friend had been sighted a few times near the cafe by the amphitheater and that they were getting quite cozy" said Max to Rick one day in a lowered voice in the locker room Irritated, Rick slammed his locker door shut and turned to Max, "What Capt. Hayes does is none of my business and I'm not interested in knowing." Max knew that Rick wasn't as indifferent to Lisa as he tried to claim to be and dropped another bit of information, "They say that they are most frequently seen around 5:30pm." With that last comment, Max hurried out of the locker to meet Miriya.

Rick glanced at the clock and noticed it was about 5pm. He told himself that what Lisa did was none of his business and that he would just mind his own business. He would head to the mess hall, pick up something for dinner and take it back to his quarters and enjoy his dinner with a nice cold beer. Rick didn't understand why at 5:25, he found himself walking in the park near the amphitheater. He located the cafe and saw Issac sitting at one of the outdoor tables. Rick took a seat at one of the benches in the park that gave him a clear view of the cafe and surrounding areas. He noticed that Issac glanced at his watch and looked around a bit as if waiting for someone. Rick wondered if he was waiting for Lisa and decided to wait a bit and see. Rick spotted Lisa before Isaac saw her, but it wasn't the Lisa that he was used to seeing.

His Lisa was normally dressed in a slightly conservative outfit with her hair curled up, with minimal makeup. This Lisa had her honey colored hair loose flowing almost down to her waist. Her hair seemed to have been highlighted given Lisa a lighter air but it was the makeup and outfit that drew Rick's attention as well as the attention of some other male patrons of the park. While Lisa was naturally beautiful and didn't wear much makeup, today, her face was done up like a models. Her skin looked more creamy and luminescent, and her eyes were outlined in kohl, making them look larger and greener than usual. Her lips were painted a pale pink and slicked with lip gloss. Lisa wore a simple long sleeve, short white shift dress with three inch nude platform sandals that that showed off her long legs. Rick saw Lisa reach Isaac and grated his teeth when Isaac stood up to greet her and pull her into a big hug.

"You look fabulous," said Isaac.

"Thank you so much, I feel good. It's been a long time since I have allowed myself to be pampered like they did at the spa today," smiled Lisa. "It's different than I am used to but I like it."

"Well if that fighter pilot you like so much saw you looking like this, I am sure it would make him think twice about your "friend" status." Isaac laughed and Lisa blushed over the comment. Issac continued, "So you all set for Saturday? You've done a great job preparing and I know you are going to do a bang up job. I'm glad that I got a chance to work with you and I hope you will stay in touch."

"Thanks Isaac, you've really given the me confidence to pull this off and thank Rebecca for the spa recommendation." replied Lisa. "I'll see you after the show, okay?"

Lisa and Issac chatted for a few more minutes, hugged and said their farewells.

Rick watched them for a few minutes interacting before deciding to head back to the base. He didn't quite know what to think but he did know that he was going to lose Lisa to this guy and didn't like it. Walking back to base he thought about what Lisa meant to him and why he was having such a hard time letting her go. He didn't understand why he felt worse about the thought of losing Lisa than he did about not seeing Minmei in months. Although Rick never wanted to admit it to himself, one of the reasons that he never seriously thought about deepening his relationship with Lisa is that he didn't want to risk putting himself out there and getting hurt. He had been hurt by Minmei's denial to the press of any relationship with him other than friendship and if a woman like Minmei was more interested in her career than in being a relationship with him, then what chance would he have with Lisa. He couldn't see what a woman like Lisa, whom epitomized grace, beauty and privilege would want with a man like him. He could understand her acceptance of their friendship, but thought that the man that deserved Lisa would be someone that was more than just a fighter pilot and former air circus pilot and therefore Rick did not allow himself to wish or think of Lisa as more than a friend.

Feeling dejected Rick headed back to base and his quarters.

The day before the show, Claudia and Admiral Gloval did their weekly status review.

"Well sir, I think the idea of Lisa participating in the show was a good one," said Claudia. "She's been much more lively the last two weeks and it's been good for to focus on something else besides work."..and Capt. Hunter, Claudia thought privately.

"Yes, but it seems to have a negative affect on one my top pilots," said Gloval as he took a puff on his pipe. The admiral was referring to the reports of Rick's bad mood lately. He looked at Claudia with a slight grin, "I don't think that I can win or negotiate a peaceful settlement between them two."referring to Rick and Lisa. "I believe we have an extra ticket to the show, do we not Claudia?"

"Yes, we do sir. Complimentary tickets were given to those on the bridge and since Lisa's in the show we have her ticket still available." replied Claudia also with a smile.

"I'd like you to invite Capt. Hunter to join us that night, please make sure his schedule is free," said Gloval with a smile to Claudia as he nodded goodbye and left the room.

Oh, I'll make sure he's there, thought Claudia, pulling up the flight patrol schedules for the next day.

It wasn't long before Rick's shift was cleared and another squad was assigned to patrol during the live show.

-Ring, ring, ring, ring-

Rick hurried over to the phone, he hoped that it would be Lisa, and was a bit disappointed to hear Claudia's voice on the other end. He felt bad that he hadn't seen her in a while and knew Roy would be a bit sad that they didn't spend more time together. "Hi Claudia," said Rick, "What's up?"

"Well Rick, I have an extra ticket to the Talent Show tomorrow and was hoping that you would be interested in coming with me."

"Why aren't you going with Lisa?" said Rick.

"Well Lisa has other plans and can't watch the show with me," Claudia said slyly.

Rick wanting to reject the offer but thought that this might be a good chance to spend some time with Claudia and get some additional information about Lisa's new relationship. "I'll have to check my schedule...but if I am free I'd love to go with you." he said.

"Oh you're free, I checked before I called you to ask," said Claudia

Rick thought it was a bit odd but decided to let it pass. "Do you want me to pick you up or do you want to meet at the amphitheater?"

"Let's just meet there, I will see you at 6pm," replied Claudia. "See you tomorrow!"

The night of the Talent Show, Rick found himself outside of the amphitheater for a second time in a week. Unlike the last time, this night there were hundreds of people waiting in line to get into the show. There was an air of excitement and anticipation from the crowds and it's positive impact also seem to have an effect on Rick. When Claudia found him, Rick was in a better mood than he had been all week. He had dressed with care tonight, wearing a blue collared shirt with a black sports coat with dark jeans. His unruly black hair cooperated with him for a change and was able to be coaxed into some semblance of style that gave Rick a rakish air. He grinned when he saw Claudia, and the smile was so devastating that Claudia understood one of the things that Lisa found attractive in the pilot. Claudia and Rick entered the theater and found their seats, he was surprised to be sitting near the center row with Admiral Gloval and some of the other bridge crew. Lisa, he noted, really was not there for the show. As the lights blinked one and off, signaling that the show was about to start, there was a commotion near one of the boxes on the side.

Rick and the patrons could hear the camera snaps and the calls of, "Minmei, over here" and "Can you look this way, please." The paparazzi swarmed Minmei as she entered the box, leaning heavily on her cousin and manager Lynn Kyle's arm, followed by the Mayor and his wife. Rick couldn't take his eyes off her as it was the first time he had seen her since Dolza's Rain and noticed that she didn't look as bright and happy as she normally did. Minmei stood in her box and waved to the crowd in the amphitheater, throwing kisses out to the crowd. He was surprised that he wasn't feeling more than just a general concern for her well being, instead of the usual heart pounding and anxiousness he felt when he was near her.

Rick's attention was pulled back to the stage when the lights suddenly came down, the curtains drew back and pounding dance music started to fill the theater. He watched the as the opening act took the stage, with 3 young men dancing in the front and four young women posed behind them. As the ladies began to sing and switch off between two of them for the opening lyrics, the woman in the middle came forward to the front and starting singing.*

At first Rick couldn't comprehend what he was seeing, for the woman singing looked incredibly like Lisa Hayes! From his peripheral vision, Rick could see Sammy, pointing to the stage and squealing, "There she is. Oh she looks sooo good," He had to admit that Lisa looked young and sexy as she was singing and dancing on stage. She was wearing a gold and white mini dress that matched the color scheme of the other performers and had her long hair pulled up off her face into a long ponytail. Her bangs framed her face and showed off her beautiful green eyes that just seemed to be popping out of her face.

Rick watched intently as Lisa went through the choreographed pop dance number. There were times when he couldn't see her when she moved behind another performer but he noticed that the camera panned to Lisa quite often when she moved to the front to sing her portions of the song, and the large screens to that were supposed to be displaying the group performance seemed to focus on what ever side Lisa seemed to be.

As the song and dance ended to deafening cries from the crowd, and the group excited the stage, the emcee for the night came out to incite the crowd, "That was just a sample of the Talent we have for you tonight, stayed tuned for our next performance."

Rick still stunned by what he had witnessed, turned to Claudia and Admiral Gloval who was sitting next to him and asked in a slightly awed voice "Is that who was picked as the RDF representative? I didn't know she could sing. Is that what she's been doing all this time, practicing and getting ready for this show?"

"Yes, and I think you owe Lisa an apology after this,"said Claudia smugly. She pointed to a couple sitting in another box across the way who was watching the comedy act that had been introduced on stage. Rick noticed Issac was sitting in the box with his arm around a very pregnant woman. "That was Lisa's voice coach," whispered Claudia. "So what do you think of the old sourpuss now, Rick? I think that Lisa's going to be getting a lot more popular after this show."

Claudia didn't expect Rick to answer and turned back to watch the remainder of the comedy act and to wait for Lisa's solo performance.

A number of acts have gone on and the crowd had been sufficiently warmed up and eagerly anticipated the next act. They were pleased by the quality and variety of acts they had seen so far and wanted more!

The emcee came out to introduce the next act, "This young lady doesn't need that much introduction, as many of you may already be familiar with her - our own First Officer, Captain Lisa Hayes!

Lisa entered the stage from the right to join the emcee. She had changed from the outfit in the opening number to a one shoulder black mini dress that skimmed her body with a pair of black platform sandals. Her hair had been let down and the sides were pulled up and the hair had been curled a bit to allow it to cascade down her back. Quite a few catcalls and wolf whistles were made as she entered the stage causing Lisa to blush a bit, which seemed to whet the appetite of the crowd even more.

"Capt. Hayes, welcome and thank you for being part of this show. I've hoped you've enjoyed it as much as we have enjoyed you. Can you please tell us a bit about what you plan to sing tonight?" said the emcee.

"Thank you and yes it's been a pleasure to be here with all of you today too. The song I chose for tonight is called, "Keep Holding On" and is dedicated to the people of Macross as well as to those who have fought and for those that continue to fight in order for us to have peace." replied Lisa looking into the crowd.

"Boo! That's a bunch of B.S and another bunch of lies told by the military!" someone yelled.

Everyone looked to where the outburst came from and saw Lynn Kyle standing in his box continuing his tirade, "You never asked us what we wanted, we don't want you to fight for us and you sure as hell aren't fighting for peace. If you were, you would lay your weapons down." yelled out Kyle.

Rick noticed Minmei still in her seat tugging on Kyle's arm to pull him back from the edge of the box and asking him to stop. He felt bad that she was embarrassment by Kyle's outburst but was pissed that Kyle would interrupt Lisa's interview like that.

Rick noticed that Lisa took a step towards Kyle as theater security had entered Minmei's box to talk with Kyle regarding the inappropriate timing for his speech.

"Wait, I'd like to address his concerns." Lisa looked out into the crowd, "I know that all of you never wanted to be taken from your home, from Earth when the ship attempted its first space fold to try and escape the Zentraedi attack, but I think that during the year that you spent with us in space, we bonded on the SDF-1 as we tried to reach home to reunite with our loved ones, just to face incredible odds against humanity upon our return. And while we weren't successful in defending the Earth against Dolza's onslaught, we somehow managed to survive and are working to rescue others that may still be out there. We aren't asking the citizens to join our cause, but we do ask for your respect and support. Our troops, fighter pilots, and personnel put our lives out on the line everyday, not because you asked, but because we want to defend those that we love and protect our fellow man from those that would do us harm. We want peace just as much as everyone else and strive everyday to make this a world that both human and Zentraedi can coexist."

Lisa's impromptu speech ignited the crowd and cheers were heard across the theater. Kyle knowing that the crowd was in support of the charismatic captain, took Minmei's hand and dragged her out of the box escorted out by security. The emcee withdrew to the side of the stage and the room dimmed with the lights focused on Lisa and the three backup singers that were used by the acts. The room quieted as the orchestra played the opening notes of the tune and Lisa started to sing in a clear voice, her emotions touching every word, every lyric.**

Rick swelled with pride for Lisa as he listened to her sing. The lyrics spoke to the people and also conveyed the hope and strength of the RDF. Lisa walked further out to the front of the stage and the lights followed her but allowed her to see out into the audience. She had noted Gloval's appearance earlier and knew that Rick was nearby. As she moved into the second part of the song, she located Rick and Claudia and smiled.

Rick noticed Lisa's eyes searching the crowd and was ecstatic when their eyes met and Lisa held his gaze as she sang.

As she sang the chorus, Rick felt a chill go down his spine and tears formed in the corners of his eyes. While he didn't start out in the military because of his strong sense of civic duty, in the last few years he's come to respect and appreciate the sense of purpose his service has given him. He also admitted that Lisa had a big influence in his current attitude. Lisa's drive, determination and guts awed him at times and that her nagging and berating of him to do better and to strive harder made him the man that he was and a Captain that other pilots looked up to. Rick furtively wiped his eyes, as he watch Lisa walk across the stage to the other side of the audience as she continued to sing.

Lisa finished her song to loud cheers and clapping from the audience that was standing on their feet. Rick wasn't the only one who had been affected by the song and noticed that many of the people were also wiping away tears while clapping and calling out to Lisa. Lisa smiling at the crowd, waved, and took a few short bows acknowledging the accolades. Before exiting the stage, Lisa took a step forward from her place on center stage, and with a sharp click of her back heels, stood at attention and elegantly saluted Admiral Gloval who was standing and clapping loudly for the woman who was the closest thing he had to a daughter. Admiral Gloval, returned her salute and at that Lisa, turned sharply on her heels and walked off stage.

The audience continued to be entertained for the next hour and a half after a short intermission. As the final act exited the stage to the cheers of the crowd, the emcee came out and and thanked the audience for coming out and had the acts come out again for a final curtain call. Everyone in the audience stood and cheered for their favorite acts and became especially loud when Lisa walked back on stage waving to the crowd. Rick added his wolf whistles to the cheers and smiled at Lisa when she gave him a nod and smile.

"C'mon flyboy, I'm going to go back to wait for Lisa. You coming with me?" said Claudia. Rick just smiled and nodded his head. As they got outside, Rick asked Claudia to wait for him for a few minutes as he tore down the street. Rick returned 15 minutes later with a bouquet of mixed roses and babies breath wrapped in green paper. Claudia whistled as she saw what he was carrying. She knew that those must have cost Rick a pretty penny as flowers were difficult to come by even with the greenhouses on the ship. "Well come on then, she's going to wonder where I got to." Claudia said motioning Rick to follow her to the back of the amphitheater.

There was still quite a crowd at the back at the theater as others were waiting for their friends and family. The back doors opened and people came streaming out. Rick recognized many of them from their acts and waited impatiently for Lisa to come out. He finally saw her exit the building carrying a garment bag and rolling a small suitcase behind her. She had changed from the mini dress into a pair of low rise, white jeans with a blue peasant top. White flat sandals completed her outfit. Her hair was still pulled back and flowing down her back. Most of the heavy stage makeup had been removed except for the liner and mascara around her eyes.

Claudia moved forward to greet her friend and gave her a big hug. "You were wonderful up there!" she gushed. Lisa put her bags down and hugged her friend back and just laughed. "I was so nervous until that idiot Lynn Kyle got up there spouting his nonsense."

Claudia laughed, "The Admiral is sorry he couldn't stay but asks that you report in at 0800 to give him a full report." Lisa smiled at her friend and mock saluted her and said, "Yes ma'am!" Lisa hadn't noticed Rick yet until Claudia said, "Someone else wanted to congratulate you too."

Lisa's green eyes widened in surprise when she saw who had accompanied Claudia to wait for her. While her and Rick had shared a moment during the performance, she didn't think that he would be waiting for her. Without letting her speak, Rick handed the flowers to Lisa and engulfed her in a big hug. He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her, bent his head down a bit and whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry for being such an ass, I'm sorry. Forgive me?" He held her a few more moments before he felt her nod her head and with a final squeeze and before he let go, he gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. Rick would have liked to hold onto her a few more moments, and relished how she felt in his arms but still feared her rejection if he tried anything else.

Keeping one arm around her, Rick bumped her with his shoulder and said, "You were pretty damn good up there Lisa. Didn't know you had it in you." Lisa thanked him and brought the roses to her nose and smelled the fragrant blooms. Lisa turned her head, looked up at Rick, smiled and said "Thank you for the flowers Rick, they are beautiful."

"I wish you had told me what you were up to Lisa, at least I would have tried to win a little money with the betting pool," he joked. Lisa just rolled her eyes and gave Rick a little nudge back with her shoulder. "Actually I was really surprised to see you out there, how come you never told me you could sing like that."

"Well, I thought that was a part of my life that I hadn't thought of revisiting, but taking this assignment really made me realize how much I missed singing."

Claudia jumped in at this point, "You thinking about resigning your commission and becoming a big star?"

"No not at all, this was fun but I don't think I could do it full time and honestly I love what I do and my responsibilities on this ship." said Lisa.

Rick sighed a sigh of relief, he didn't think that he could have taken it if Lisa had wanted to become a star like Minmei.

"It's getting late, we should go," said Claudia picking up Lisa's garment bag. Rick grabbed her rolling suitcase and walked with the women back to the base. The three of them discussed the acts and Lisa's experience with rehearsals and the show. After they reached the base and checked in for the night, Claudia said her goodnight to the two of them and Rick took the garment bag from Claudia and walked Lisa back to her quarters. They walked in silence, until they reached Lisa's door. She took the garment bag back and suitcase handle from Rick and was about to say goodnight, when Rick said, "Lisa, I really am sorry the way I've acted the last couple of days, I should have let you explain and honestly I don't know what came over me, I hope you can forgive me."

Lisa looked at Rick and reached out to him and put her palm on his cheek and said, "I'm sorry too, I wanted to tell you but Gloval asked me to keep it a secret. I didn't mean to shut you out. Forgive me."

Rick wanted nothing more than to put his hand on top of her hand and press it against his cheek. Instead he just nodded and said, "It's okay, but in return, I want to hear you sing again and you can buy me a cup of coffee during your break tomorrow."

Lisa laughed and nodded her head. She entered the pin to her room and said goodnight to Rick.

Nothing was resolved between the two of them that night, but that night as they laid in their respective beds, their thoughts were on one another and the anticipation of seeing one another the next day even if it was only for coffee.

* * *

*Time to Love by T-ara and Supernova Live version

** Avril Lavigne "Keep Holding On"

Thank you all for reading, hope you enjoyed it. I am sure you can tell I am a huge fan of Lisa and Rick.

Removed lyrics, not to violate any rules


End file.
